When I took a pastry class last October, the chef instructor told us that croissants are meant to be eaten right when they come out of the oven. FOOTO Croissant is one place in Vancouver where you can eat fresh croissants made from scratch in-house daily. I ventured to FOOTO Croissant a few times recently to indulge in their delicious croissants.

FRESH Croissants

At FOOTO, croissants are baked five times daily (7:30 am, 9:30 am, 11:30 am, 1:30 pm and 3 pm). The baking times are, however, approximate. I can attest to that because I went to FOOTO at 11:20 am and the next batch was apparently not 11:30 am but closer to 1 pm.

According to their website, they are committed to using only the freshest natural ingredients – enriched unbleached flour, water, unsalted butter, fresh eggs, fresh milk, salt, fresh yeast, and granulated sugar. No food colorings, chemicals, or shortenings are used. Each croissant is $3.20/piece, $15.00/6 pieces and $28.80/12 pieces. There is no tax on the purchase of 6 or more.

FOOTO Menu

Aside from artisan croissants, FOOTO also has sells sandwiches, home made soup, coffee, tea, and macarons. Their menu is available on their website.

Modern & Clean

The interior of FOOTO is clean and contemporary with a mix of dining tables and benches with coffee tables. The dining tables did seem a little crowded together. The design is more reminiscent of an Asian cafe rather than Parisian boulangerie.

The places seems to be on the quieter side as it was pretty empty the times I was there. Most people seemed to take away the croissants rather than dine-in.

What I Tried

The croissants were reheated prior to consumption. I have tried the almond, chocolate, apple cheddar and their newest flavour, Earl Grey croissant. All of the croissants were absolutely scrumptious. The colour of the croissants were nicely golden brown. The shells were indeed crusty on the outside, but the inside was soft and airy. The croissants held well together and did not give out much crumbs.

Out of the four croissants I tried, I would highly recommend the apple cheddar. A bit sweet and savoury which gives it a fun flavour.

The almond croissant is filled with almond cream and topped with house made fruit glaze, toasted almond slices, and icing sugar.

The chocolate croissant is wrapped around two dark chocolate sticks with melted chocolate drizzle on top.

I enjoyed the Earl Grey too but would have liked the Earl Grey flavour to be stronger.

Hey everyone! I’m back from vacation just in time for the final days of Taste of Yaletown 2015. I had previously posted about the delicious eats from Minami from the media preview. Last night, I went with a friend to Minami again and indulged in their delicious Taste of Yaletown dishes (at our own cost). In this post, I will review the amazing eats from Minami’s $45 Taste of Yaletown dinner menu.

Minami Appetizer Trio

The dinner started with a trio of appetizers including the aburi sushi sampler, market citrus salad, and brome lake duck confit drumette.

The aburi sushi sampler featured Minami’s signature salmon oshi sushi and ebi oshi sushi prepared using the flame-seared technique. I have always been a fan of their salmon oshi sushi and its melt-in-your-mouth goodness.

The market citrus salad with shaved fennel, lolla rosa, roasted pine nuts, Aburi grapes, radish, and honey-balsamic vinaigrette was very refreshing. The citrus taste was just right and not overwhelming. The brome lake duck confit drumette had a wonderfully crispy exterior and had a subtly sweet flavour from the fruit compote. I appreciated that the meat fell off the bone easily.

Surf & Turf

From the media preview, I could not get enough of the sakekasu-saikyo miso baked sablefish. Sablefish meat has a rich and sweet flavour itself, but the marinated Japanese eggplant, watercress and shoga-wasabi relish gave the dish even more layers of flavour. The Fraser Valley Pork Duo consisted of soy braised pork cheek and crispy kakuni pork belly with Aburi corn-red bell pepper salsa, maple miso Asahi black glaze, and rapini. Both the pork belly and pork cheek were very tender and tasty, but the delicious sablefish still had me lingering for more.

Dessert

To finish off this fantastic meal, we had the mixed berry sakekasu bar. It was a miso pecan-walnut crumble with vanilla-sakekasu and rhubarb-ume ice cream and salted caramel sauce. I loved the complex flavours of the dessert with the fruitiness, vanilla, caramel and citrus tang.

Service

I found the service at Minami to be excellent. Our server was friendly, attentive and explained all of our dishes. There were other circulating servers who kept our water glasses full.

Overall Impression of Minami’s Taste of Yaletown Menu

Minami had some mouthwatering dishes for Taste of Yaletown. I would highly recommend their Taste of Yaletown menu which is a terrific deal for $45. Taste of Yaletown ends on October 29th, so if you have not had a chance to go to Minami or other participating restaurants, here is your last chance to do so! To see the Taste of Yaletown menus, go here. Rating: 5/5

Have you got your reservations for the 11th annual Taste of Yaletown yet? It is happening next week from October 15 – 29. This year, there are 26 restaurants participating showcasing creativity and diversity from chefs in their menu combinations, which will be offered at set prices of $25, $35, $45. I attended a Taste of Yaletown preview this week where we sampled delectable dishes from two of Yaletown’s finest restaurants, Minami and The Greek. In Part 1 of this two-part post, I will give you a sneak peak as to what is in store for Minami.

Chocolate To Start

The Taste of Yaletown preview kicked off with some delicious chocolate tasting at XOXOLAT. Did you know that you can get a chocolate shoe?

Minami

After some chocolate tasting, our first restaurant stop was Minami, which is famous for their creative take on Japanese cuisine. This year, they will be having three different Taste of Yaletown menus including a $25 lunch menu, a $35 vegetarian dinner menu, and a $45 regular dinner menu.

Make Your Reservations for Taste of Yaletown

As you see, there are some amazing eats offered during Taste of Yaletown. For more information on Taste of Yaletown and the participating restaurant menus, visit their website. Remember to tag your social media shares with the official Taste of Yaletown hastag: #TOY2015. Bon Appétit! You can read more about Part 2 of the media preview here, The Greek by Anatoli, here.

Fellow foodies, mark your calendars! The 11th annual Taste of Yaletown is happening October 15 – 29 and showcases unique dishes from 26 restaurants in the neighbourhood. This popular two-week dining event showcases creativity and diversity from chefs in their menu combinations, which will be offered at set prices of $25, $35, $45.

“We’re excited by some of the new restaurants in the area this year and are looking forward to seeing what the chefs are going to serve up,” reveals Annette O’Shea Executive Director of the Yaletown Business Improvement Association.

Yaletown is home to a variety of delicious cuisine including tasty French tapas, mouth watering Italian dishes, creative Japanese cuisine and fine wine pairings and local craft beer selections. The event is sure to tantalize taste buds of diners from diverse cultures and food preferences.

Menchie’s in Yaletown opened last month, and I have made a few visits already. It has been several months since my last Menchie’s fix at the Cambie location. They are having a grand opening this Saturday, July 25th, where they will be giving away free frozen yogurt! More details below.

Mix, Weigh, Pay, Yumm!

I first visited Menchie’s in Yaletown a few days after they opened. They are located on Davie between Richards and Homer. This location is quite small with counter top seating but no dining tables. There is also a high chair available for kids, which I did use for my son.

They have 10 rotating daily flavours along with more than 40 toppings including fruits, candies and nuts. Unlike Pinkberry, they charge by weight at a cost of $2.19 per 100 grams.

I heard that they had the Nutella flavour via social media and was eager to try it. It had been a while since I had something with Nutella on it and I definitely missed the taste. We decided on a classic vanilla and Nutella swirl with gummy bears, fuzzy peaches and peanuts. The cost was close to $6.

A few days ago, I visited Menchie’s again in Yaletown with my friend and husband and this time we and had a celebrity encounter. I recognized Hollywood actress Andie MacDowell as she was getting her cup of froyo that evening. Her show, Cedar Cove, is filmed in North Vancouver apparently. We did not stop her for photos or autographs, but she talked to my husband briefly as he was watching my friend’s dog outside. Andie even petted the dog because she thought the dog was cute!

I decided on the Oreo, which is a new flavour at Menchie’s in Canada, and a zen green tea swirl. For toppings, I had the chocolate sprinkles, rainbow sprinkles, peanuts and an Oreo cookie on top. The green tea yogurt was a bit runny unfortunately. The yogurt cup cost close to $10.

My friend went with a blueberry cheesecake froyo with gummy bears, gummy worms, strawberry mochi, and a Nanaimo bar. My friend thought the gummy bears were a bit hard. Her cup came out to be around $6.

Friendly

The staff at the new Menchie’s Yaletown seemed quite nice. They were eager to give my son stickers the times we were there. On our first visit, the owner thanked us for coming and even helped keep the door open for us as we left with our stroller.

Menchies Yaletown Grand Opening on July 25th

One of the staff handed me an advertisement which had information about the Grand Opening this Saturday.

Free frozen yogurt from 11 am – 4 pm (limit one per guest)

50% off frozen yogurt from 4 pm – 11 pm (limit one per guest)

Free gift bags to the first 100 people (limit one per family, until supplies last)

Overall Impression

The Menchie’s in Yaletown has a good rotating selection of froyo flavours and toppings. I also enjoy the friendliness of their staff. My green tea froyo was a bit runny and we found the gummy bears to be hard, but the overall experience has been good.

Having seen mouthwatering photos from Small Victory Bakery on Instagram, I was enticed to try out their coffee and baked goods. For a late Friday afternoon coffee break, I headed down to Small Victory Bakery with my husband.

Minimalistic & Clean Space

Upon entering the bakery, I was impressed with their minimalistic, clean and wood-accented space. Large, gold-coloured geometric shapes adorn the wall. The interior is spacious but there seems to be only a few tables for seating. There are, however, many seats at the bar. With Small Victory’s open kitchen concept, sitting at the bar provides a great view of the the baristas preparing drinks. One thing to remark is that there is a short flight of stairs leading to the main area so this cafe is not accessible-friendly for wheelchairs and strollers.

Hypnotizing Goodies

I spent a bit of time at their ordering counter as I was hypnotized by how cute their baked goods and desserts are. The staff person was not only friendly and enthusiastic, but patient as he awaited my decision. Their menu is also available on their website.

For drinks, we had an 8 oz latte ($3.75) and one of their new summer drinks, lemon maccha iced tea ($5).

The latte was smooth and had a nice balance between espresso and milk.

A photo posted by Foodgressing 🍴 (@foodgressing) on May 31, 2015 at 10:28am PDT

Small Victory Bakery’s Cold Brew

I also noticed Small Victory Bakery’s cold brew operation. I asked one of the staff about it and the process takes 6 hours to complete, but results in a flavourful cold brew coffee drink. Over the weekend, Vancity Buzz named them as one of the best places for a cold brew.

Overall Impression

Small Victory opened in late 2014, but they seem quite at home in the Yaletown neighbourhood. The staff seem friendly and enthusiastic. The open kitchen provides a bit of an entertainment while sitting at the bar. Menu items are priced for the Yaletown area. I’ll be back for more coffee breaks and definitely more desserts.

When it comes to chocolate, I admit that I don’t ask too many questions. I eat it. It makes me happy. I have another piece.

When I saw a Groupon for Chocolate-Tasting Class from XOXOLAT, I thought it would be fun learn more about chocolate. XOXOLAT is one of Vancouver’s chocolate haven and specializes in single origin and fair trade chocolates. Their chocolate class was just one hour long and included tastings of different beans, manufacturers, origins, and cocoa content.

Chocolate 101

Cacao trees produces cacao pods which contain cacao beans. We got to hold a cacao pod and it is quite large! The beans from the pods are roasted to bring out the chocolate flavour. A winnowing machine removes the shells from the beans leaving just the cacao nibs. The nibs are further processed to create a paste that is separated into cacao powder and cacao butter. It is the butter which is used to make chocolate.

XOXOLAT Creations

The class was packed with tons of chocolate samples of course. We tried different manufacturer chocolates but I quite enjoyed the in-store creations. Interesting flavours included maple caramelized bacon with espresso, lavender and nibs, tortilla chips and lime, sea salt and triple peppercorns, and sour cherry with chili.

My favorite was the lavender and nibs, which included lavender oil as an ingredient. It was also interesting to taste tortilla chips in the tortilla chips and lime blended bar. Yum!

To finish off the evening, we had a sumptuous shot of drinking chocolate. Sheer decadence.

Go Fair Trade

XOXOLAT is passionate about fair trade chocolate. Cacao plantations are found in developing countries. What is shocking is the prevalence of human trafficking and slave labor in the cacao industry. I had not considered this before, and feel that it will impact my chocolate purchases in the future.

Shoes + Chocolate

What girl doesn’t love chocolate and shoes? Well, you can have it all in one. XOXOLAT has something for the chocolate and shoe lover. I took a photo of a men’s shoe, but they have heels!

Well, it was fun learning about chocolate with XOXOLAT. I will definitely consider the source of my chocolate on my next purchase.

Living Produce Aisle is a new and unique shop in Yaletown that offers fresh smoothies and salads. The ingredients are so fresh that they are harvested just seconds before being prepared for your specific order. I ventured to Living Produce Aisle after hearing about their opening as I was curious about their concept and their menu items.

Aisles of Greens

When I walked into the Living Produce Aisle, I saw rows upon rows of plants being grown indoors. I learned that these greens are being grown inside an urban cultivator. These appliances make sure the greens grow in optimal conditions by regulating air and light.

Because the greens are so fresh, they have a more intense flavour and are more nutritious as well.

Microgreens, which are seedlings of edible vegetables and herbs, are grown on site. They improve a dish’s texture, flavour, and style, but are also highly nutritious. According to Living Produce Aisle, they have a higher enzyme count than fresh fruit and vegetables and are a great source of fatty acids and fibre. Flats of greens are also available for sale.

Living Produce Aisle Smoothies

It was my lucky day because when I arrived some samples were just being set out. I got to sample the Garden of Eden (Nasturtium, kale, orange juice, lemonade, mango, banana, frozen yogurt) and the Berry Me (mustard greens, peashoots, berries, coconut water, lemonade, frozen yogurt). The Garden of Eden was interesting because it had a wasabi-like aftertaste due to the nasturtium.

I bought the Temple Tonic (arugula, wheatgrass, orange juice, coconut water, banana and frozen yogurt) as seen in the first picture of this post. It had a strong arugula flavor and was an overall refreshing smoothie. The smoothies are $9 and all ingredients are 100% organic. They also have a frequent smoothie loyalty program.

There is a seating area at the back of the shop. On the wall, it says, “It’s a Fresh New World.” I would have to agree that freshness is indeed wonderful: nutritious, healthy and tasty too!